What To Look For In Aging Flat Roof

There are different important signs of flat roof aging that you can spot and prevent a greater damage. Watching for these signs of wear and tear is much different when you are talking about a flat roof vs. a pitched. In fact, a membrane roof will wear out much differently than a tar and gravel roof will. These different signs are important to understand and be aware of.

PVC Roofs

PVC membrane typically lasts for about 10-25 years depending on the brand and thickness of membrane. When PVC begins to age you may see some of the following signs. It can become brittle, it has formed cracks or it has begun to pull at the edges of the membrane.

If you have ever seen an old, brittle PVC pipe, you will know what to look for. PVC membrane will age identically to the PVC in the pipes.

TPO Roofs

TPO membrane usually lasts from 15 to 25 years (keep in mind TPO has only been a roofing product for about 23 years), depending on the system and skill of installers. Some brands of TPO roofs come with a lifetime warranty when a 60 ml thick membrane is installed. Look for the following indicators that your TPO roof is aging:

Worn areas on the roof. TPO will simply wear thin in certain areas as it reaches the end of its functional life.

The membrane edges. Older systems will infrequently pull from the edges as other flat roofing membranes do. New methods of installation now help prevent TPO from pulling away from the perimeter.

The seams should not separate in TPO as it is a Thermoplastic roof and the seams are fused together (rather than glued or taped).

EPDM Roofs

EPDM membrane itself lasts a very long time with an expected life of up to 40 years with some types and thicknesses. However, in Utah’s abusive cold weather climate, the seams curl and separate after about 10 to 20 years. You will find similar issues to TPO with EPDM as it ages:

Thinning throughout the membrane and pulling from the edges of the roof.

Bridging. Many times the roof fails due to extensive “bridging” or “tenting” where the membrane on the roof turns up a wall, skylight curb, HVAC curb, pipe, etc.

One last thing to look for in EPDM is whether the EPDM has a reinforcement fabric or scrim in the sheet. If it does, you will be able to see the pattern of the scrim when looking closely at the membrane. Reinforced EPDM will bridge less than unreinforced. The non-reinforced EPDM will split in the field of the membrane and will be susceptible to tearing as it shrinks at a faster rate.

It is important to note that the basic factor in your roof’s longevity is the workmanship in how it was installed. If the roof is not installed properly, it doesn’t matter how thick the membrane is. You don’t want to have to replace your roof after only a few short years simply because the installers did not do their job the way it needed to be done. The level of workmanship in the application of a system can be determined with a trained eye. As with any roofing concerns, a simple answer is to contact a roofing contractor to come in and inspect your roof for you. Megapolis Roofing will do these inspections! Call today to schedule a free estimate or to discuss any questions concerning your roof.

When it comes to flat roofing services, our experts are the perfect team for the job, by any measure! While we are overseeing that particular sector of our services, we also take part in our regular business activities, such as flat roof maintenance & repairs...